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This is a big weekend for major studio films. Warner Brothers unleashes Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Paramount’s Rocketman lifts off, and Universal rolls out the Octavia Spencer starrer Ma. But what about the indies, you ask?

The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia and Disney. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: May 24th, May 17th, and May 10th.

Stars: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Michelle Buteau, Daniel Dae KimWriter: Michael Golamco, Randall Park, Ali WongDirector: Nahnatchka KhanGenre: Comedy, RomancePlot: A pair of childhood friends end up falling for each other when they grow up.What you should know: Director Nahnatchka Khan may be known for creating Fresh Off the Boat, but she was also a writer and executive producer on Don’t Trust the B and Pepper Ann.Opens in: Select cities & on Netflix

Stars: Demian Hernández, Matías Oviedo, Antar Machado, Magdalena TótoroWriter/Director: Dominga Sotomayor CastilloGenre: DramaPlot: The year 1990 was when Chile transitioned to democracy, but all of that seems a world away for 16-year-old Sofia, who lives far off the grid in a mountain enclave of artists and bohemians. During the hot, languorous days between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the troubling realities of the adult world—and the elemental forces of nature—begin to intrude on her teenage idyll.What you should know: It’s in Spanish, and premiered at TIFF 2018.Opens in: Select cities

Stars: Maripier Morin, Éric Bruneau, Maxim Roy, Rémy GirardWriter/Director: Denys ArcandGenre: Comedy, CrimePlot: Pierre-Paul Daoust, 36, an intellectual with a PhD in philosophy is forced to work as a deliveryman to afford a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a hold up gone terribly wrong: two dead and millions in money bags laying on the ground. Pierre-Paul is confronted with a dilemma leave empty handed, or take the money and run?What you should know: It’s in French and English.Opens in: Select cities

Stars: Rady Gamal, Ahmed Abdelhafiz, Osama Abdallah, Mohamed Abdel AzimWriter/Director: A.B. ShawkyGenre: Adventure, Comedy, DramaPlot: Beshay – a man cured of leprosy – has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian desert where he has lived snce childhood. Following the death of his wife, he finally decides to go in search of his roots. With his meagre possessions strapped to a donkey cart, he sets out to cross Egypt and confront the world.What you should know: This was Egypt’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.Opens in: Select cities

Stars: Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava, Maev Beaty, Sarah CamachoWriter: Amy Nostbakken, Patricia Rozema, Norah SadavaDirector: Patricia RozemaGenre: DramaPlot: Cassandra Haywood is a single writer who lives by her own rules. She’s also a bit of a disaster. Following the sudden death of her mother, she finds herself in crisis, unable to think straight with a debate raging inside her head. This movie makes that invisible conflict visible: Cassandra battles it out with herself while figuring out what to say at her mother’s funeral.What you should know: This Canadian drama premiered at TIFF 2018.Opens in: Select cities

Director: Richard MironGenre: DocumentaryStoryline: A woman's love for her pet chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys—all 200 of them—ignites a battle with local animal rescuers and puts her marriage in jeopardy.What you should know: One of the executive producers is the host and creator of S-Town.Opens in: NYC

Director: Ingrid SerbanGenre: DocumentaryStoryline: Seeking to build a bridge of mutual understanding and friendship, a Canadian-Egyptian entrepreneur living in Switzerland decides to reach out to the very people who fear him. He travels across the United States to find Americans concerned about an Islamic threat and makes them an intriguing offer: a Free Trip to Egypt. The initial reactions range from disbelief to hostility, but eventually a diverse group from various backgrounds is selected, including: a teacher, a police officer, a Marine veteran, a single mom, a preacher and a beauty pageant queen. All have their preconceptions but are receptive and courageous enough to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.What you should know: Check out #PledgetoListen on Twitter for more info.Opens in: NYC this week, LA next week, and nationwide for one night on June 12th.

Director: Gerald FoxGenre: DocumentaryStoryline: The first ever feature-length documentary about Robert Frank, the legendary Swiss-American photographer and filmmaker. Shot in cinema-verité style between New York and Nova Scotia, where Frank now lives, the film captures Frank reflecting on a lifetime of image making.What you should know: An hour-long version of this aired on TV in 2005, but it’s been cut into a feature for its first NY theatrical release this year.Opens in: Select cities

Director: Erik NelsonGenre: DocumentaryStoryline: A tribute to one of the world's great filmmakers and the men of the 8th Air Force who flew mission after suicidal mission in the Second World War.What you should know:Opens in: Select cities; premieres on HBO June 6th

[Spoilers]Her character is a teacher at the school that the 2 main girls really admire. She drives them to another kid's end of the year party, and then goes to the party herself. It is heavily implied that she slept with one of her students at the party. They kind of establish that he is older (20) than the other kids, but it was still weird.

We finally went to see The Souvenir last night. I remembered reading good reviews from Sundance, and was really psyched to see it...sadly, I was whelmed.

I am all about quiet character pieces, but you need to let me get to know the character in question. When the only thing I truly know about the main character is that she makes bad decisions re: men, it's hard to empathize with her. The star of the movie is Tilda Swinton's daughter, and she's really good, but we never see anything from her POV. This is obviously intentional, considering the movie is semi-autobiographical and about a filmmaker, but it's just frustrating to watch. And there just wasn't enough to it, imo - I don't get all of the five star reviews.

I did like the way it was shot - all the soft focus reminded me of Phantom Thread. I googled it after we got home, and was reminded that there is a sequel (bizarre for a movie like this) and that Robert Pattinson is in the sequel. Hope it's slightly less interior than this one.

I need to go see something tonight or tomorrow bc I forgot to use my free birthday popcorn and soda last time I was at AMC, and it expires Saturday! Will probably end up seeing Rocketman.

i saw booksmart and loved it, soundtrack was dope and the cast was great! i also saw the souvenir and it was so boring, i don't understand what the main character saw in that older man from the getgo by the end i was huffing and puffing in my seat over this pretentious boring trash.

Omg, yes @ the dude in The Souvenir! What the fuck was his appeal even? [Spoiler (click to open)]Okay, so you were charmed by him, fine. You let him borrow money and disappear for hours on end, okay. But when his friend blatantly tells you he's a heroin addict, you gotta dump his ass! When he steals all of your shit and sells it for drug money, dump his ass! It's hard to understand a character that willfully stupid. What was he even bringing to the relationship besides classical music and pretension? I was also huffing and puffing in my seat, and kept looking at my husband like wtf? WTF?!

LITERALLY his only barely tolerable trait was his choice of music! i haven't disliked a movie this much since i walked out of suicide squad 42 minutes in and i'm actually shocked i stayed until the end, 2 hours i'll never get back siiiiiiiiiiiiighssssssss